Practice Goals
Research has shown that youth violence is harmful for many reasons – both to individuals and society (Melendez-Torres et al., 2016). One method for preventing youth violence is to implement positive youth development interventions, which focus on building young people’s positive assets. These interventions emphasize cultivating developmental skills (e.g., self-regulation, bonding, and resilience), prosocial norms (e.g., academic achievement, acquisition of cognitive and vocational skills, and community involvement), positive social identities, strong connections with peers and adults, and caring for others. Through the promotion of youths’ assets, community-based positive youth development programs aim to prevent violence in youth.
Practice Components/Key Personnel
The programs included in this practice are Big Brothers Big Sisters, the National Guard Youth Challenge Program, and the Quantum Opportunity Program, also known as Eisenhower Quantum Opportunities (Melendez-Torres et al., 2016).
Big Brothers Big Sisters Community-Based Mentoring Program is a program primarily for youth ages 10–16 from single-parent households. Mentors are adults who are positive role models drawn from the community and are trained to recognize and report abuse. The mentor and mentee met several times a month. Research suggests that a youth who has an ongoing relationship with a trusted, caring adult is more likely to develop positive assets such as improved academic performance, self-esteem, coping skills, healthy relationships with family and friends, and cultural awareness (Tierney and Grossman, 1995).
The National Guard Youth Challenge Program is a military-style boot camp for youth ages 16–18 who have left school and are unemployed. The program, which features a mentoring component, helps youth develop the positive assets of job skills and life skills training, academic excellence, leadership and citizenship skills, community service, physical fitness, and good health and hygiene. Mentors included both program staff and community members nominated by participants (Millenky et al., 2010; Millenky et al., 2011).
The Quantum Opportunity Program serves youth in schools with high dropout rates and youth who were in the bottom two thirds of their grade. Participating youth are 14 years old on average. The intervention is delivered in a school context, by staff from community-based organizations. The staff provide case management and mentoring; academic assessment, planning, and tutoring; community services and leisure activities; and support over summer vacations (when necessary). Like other positive youth development interventions, the Quantum Opportunity Project seeks to build positive assets such as cultural awareness, community service, academic achievement, and good health and hygiene (Schirm et al., 2003).
